Alas, no decent Quark available in the US! A Vermont company makes quark, but it is hellish expensive and doesn't taste right. For my German Käsekuchen I use cream cheese, you don't miss the quark tang because of the addition of lemon zest, and it is lightened by whipped egg whites. (Neither ricotta, nor cottage cheese are adequate substitutes, their consistency and taste is too different, and farmer's cheese isn't quite right, either).

For other purposes I make a quark substitute with buttermilk:

QUARK (1)

2 quarts buttermilk (2 packages)

Pour 2 packages buttermilk (= 2 quarts) in a bowl with a lid. Place overnight in the oven at 150 F. The next morning, pour clotted buttermilk through a cheese cloth lined strainer, tie ends into a knot, and place (bowl with sieve) for several hours in the fridge, until drained (you can use the whey instead of water for bread baking).

There is also a method to make it with buttermilk starter (I haven't tried it out, yet):

QUARK (2)

1 gallon pasteurized whole milk

1 packet direct-set buttermilk starter

2 - 3 tbsp. heavy cream (if too dry)

Heat milk to 88 F. Add starter and mix well. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours, or until set. Pour mixture into collander, lined with cheese cloth. Tie corners into a knot, and refrigerate to drain overnight. If finished quark is too dry, add the heavy cream.

Quark is technically buttermilk cheese. Ie buttermilk culture is used to curdle the milk and left till it is of thick consistency, then whey is drained. Then cream is added for sahnequark.

Interestingly enough this is the same technique (diff culture) as yoghurt cheese and Greek yoghurt.

The closest textural substitute I have found is full cream Greek yoghurt, I have happily spread Zoi greek yoghurt on brotchen and jam and found it a pretty close sub. I have used it many times as quark speise desert sub as it has a decent tang - my three year old calls it cream. I never baked with it though. for those baked recipes I have always used cream cheese with a dash of lemon, vinegar or buttermilk to create the acid that is often needed for triggering the leavening agents

I have made my own there are recipes out there online, however where I am it is hard to find non pasteurized buttermilk as a starter culture. so here's what I have done when stumped. Grabbed my fav tangy yoghurt and some cultured buttermilk. Mixed the two together till I found an approximate taste. Then in multiple layers of cheesecloth/or superfine mesh (I use a shower curtain like fabric) then drain for several hrs till I get a consistency I want. Usually a cream cheese consistency, then add a few table spoons of cream to get a quark consistency.

With kids and adversity to making as little mess as possible, the Zoi yoghurt is just my easiest alternative....

Oh I have seen it at good cheese/wine shops. I have seen it at beverages and more in ca, plus a wine and cheese store in Missouri. I think you could just call your local cheese store and ask. They probably could get it in for you too.

I have heard that Costco might have Quark. However, I am not a member of Costco, so I really can't confirm if Costco has it or not. If I find Quark, I would not be surprise if it's really expensive and the taste or texture might be different from the real thing in Germany.

I am in Ohio, even though we have lot's of stores and even a big Amish community nearby, they are not familiar with Quark. I have also tried the Quark from Vermont, my daughter got it for me at whole foods as a surprise, but it was very expensive and not the right taste or consistency. An old neighbor gave me some advise to make my own, similar to what Karin described above, but I haven't tried it. For German style cheesecake I use cottage cheese. I just take a hand blender and smooth it out with that a little, it works just fine once it's baked and it's much lower fat than cream cheese. You can also use ricotta, but it's more expensive and the cottage cheese works just fine for baked goods.

Off course, that dosn't really work for fresh Quark use, like Quark with fruit, Quark Sahne (Torte), Quark with Herbs etc. That I save for visit's to Germany at this point.

is a German import store, they sell Quark, but at OUTRAGEOUS prices. I have to disagree w/ hanseata, I have been using either ricotta for my German cheesecakes, or a blended mix of 3/5 cottage cheese, 1/5 cream cheese, 1/5 sour cream (make sure you put this through a food processor and blend it well in order to get rid of the curd in the cottage cheese).

The only other option you have is to make it yourself, but using whole milk instead of buttermilk - or even raw milk, if you have access to that. Google it, there should be recipes around.

you will likely have to make it yourself. I'm w/ you on the "low-fat" thing - YUCK. As for the consistency of ricotta, I'm only using it for baking and very successfully, the consistency has never mattered. :)

There is a dairy culture called villi ( a Finnish yogurt)that has more of a sour cream/buttermilk taste than the buttermilk you buy at the grocery store these days. I bought a culture starter from Seeds of Health.

It cultures at room temperature and is self renewing. If you make it with full fat milk or even cream it is absolutely sinful! It may need to be drained somewhat if you want a marscapone or greek yogurt consistency. It sounds similar to the quark you are talking about but may be easier to make.

Thanks so much for all the links, I'm going to read them and look into quark made from yogurt, I curious as to the taste difference....I love quark!

I make my own from buttermilk because Quark is $35.00 a kilo in Australia and very hard to find. I use it for sweet pastries, pizza bases, sweet dumplings and my cheesecake. Making my own also leaves me with the Whey which I use in gravies, cakes and bread.

I'm so glad I found this thread, I had never heard of Quark before I read this. I live in Southern California and I use a lot of Queso Fresco in my baking. Queso Fresco is a fresh Mexican Cheese some refer to it as Farmer's Cheese as well. This Quark sounds very interesting and I'm gonna have to try my hand at making some. I love this website!!!! I get exposed to new food and baking things all the time.

There is some quark now coming available in CA. Elli quark which is a spoonable type of German quark. A few of my colleagues ran across it at the local market. I have to say it did bring back some childhood memory just trying the plain. Suppose ill try a fruit version next.

I recently found some in the local commissary, it was produced in Vermont. It was ok but not sure if they extract each and every taste nuance out of the milk here in the US before being allowed to come to market.

Yes, yes I have also seen that one. Its a bit on the pricey end but you are correct its quite different. This one in my local market is quite nice. Its noticeable even the color of the products from Germany to Canada to US is also different. Now I must convince my wife to let me try my hand at kasekuchen!

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